Southwest Missouri State scored 31 runs on 35 to post victories of 21-5 and 12-7 over Illinois State in a Missouri Valley Conference baseball doubleheader from Redbird Field Saturday.
Less than 24 hours after watching his ace, Neal Cotts, strikeout 13 batters in a complete-game three-hit shutout in the first game of the series, ISU head coach Jeff Stewart watched his pitching staff give up 29 earned runs, 35 hits and 23 walks en route to two losses to SMS on Saturday.
We have only one dominant pitcher and thats Neal Cotts, Stewart said. The rest of our staff consists of blue-collar pitchers who need to come out and compete each time they take the mound. Today our guys did a poor job of competing and nobody stepped up.
Our guys need to realize that sometimes they are going to give up runs in a high-scoring game, however, that certainly is no reason to pitch without confidence and poise.
SMS (19-11, 8-3) scored runs in all but the fifth inning of the first game, notching a solo run in the first inning before exploded for seven in the second and five in the third to break open the game.
The Redbirds (12-14, 4-7) faced a 14-0 deficit before scratching their first two runs of the game in the fourth inning. ISU starter Steve Hecker (4-2) struggled to find the plate as he issued five walks and allowed five hits for eight earned runs in only one and two-thirds of an inning.
Freshman Todd Stein came in relief of Hecker in the second, but was roughed up for nine earned runs on 12 hits and three walks in a little over three innings of work. Sophomore Brian McDevitt pitched effectively for an inning before getting into trouble; he allowed three more runs on five walks and two hits in his two innings of work.
SMS starter, Brad Ziegler (5-0), went the distance for the Bears, holding the Redbirds to only three earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
The Redbird pitching staff dug itself into another hole early in game two as SMS touched up starter Matt Hines (1-2) for five runs in three innings. Hines also caught a case of wildness as he issued six free passes and hit another batter during his stint.
The Birds were able to rally for three runs in the fourth inning to pull within 5-3. A two-run double off of the top of the wall in left-center field by Mike Saunches plated Ed Tolzien and Jared Dufault. A two-out single by Ryan Cantrell scored Saunches.
Pitching effectively out of the pen, Tim Boyer ran into trouble in the sixth inning as the Bears roughed him up for four runs on two-run homers by Corey Lawson Ryan Howard.
Trailing 9-3, the Birds mounted another comeback with three more runs in the sixth. A one-out solo homer by Saunches got the Birds rolling and consecutive singles by Jon Peacock and Cantrell put the Birds in business. Peacock scored on a passed ball and Cantrell was plated on a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Accardo to pull the Birds within 9-6.
The Birds were able to scratch a run in the seventh to pull within two runs, however, SMS responded with three runs off of Heath Heiberger in the top of the ninth to seal the deal for the Bears. Starter Matt Palmer (3-2) allowed six runs in six innings to earn his third win of the year and Bob Zimmermann tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit ball to pickup his third save of the year.
The two teams will conclude the series on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
